Production of sound picture records



Aug. 13, 1940. A. N. GOLDSMITH PRODUCTION OF SOUND PICTURE RECORDS Original Filed Feb. 19, 1935 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE PRODUCTION OF SOUND PICTURE RECORDS tion of Delaware Original application February 19, 1935, Serial No.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the production of sound picture records, and more particularly to improved apparatus for simultaneously recording action and accompanying sound, the present application being a division of my copending application Serial No. 7,165, filed February 19, 1935.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide an improved sound-picture recording apparatus wherein the film paths of a motion Another object of my present invention is to provide an improved sound-picture recording system which is more economical of film than that heretofore used in that it avoids the necessity of recording the sound on a film separate from that on which the picture is recorded.

Still another object of my present invention is to provide an improved sound and motion picturesysterm which enables a variety of angle shots to be made, each with its own accompanying and appropriate sound track.

A further object of my present invention is to provide improved sound-picture recording appa- 30 ratus which will record the sound tracks in a reproduction.

It is also an object of my present invention to 35 provide improved sound and picture recording apparatus as aforesaid which is simple in construction, economical in cost, and highly efflcient in use.

The novel features that I consider characteriO istic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be under- 5 stood from the following description of one embodiment thereof, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of one modification of my invention wherein the motion picture 0 camera and the sound recorder are interconnected through a conduit suitable for passing the film from one to the other, and

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views showing certain details of the apparatus embodying my invention.

Divided and this application December 15, 1937, Serial No. 1'7

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout, I have shown, in Fig. 1, a typical studio set-up embodying the methods of my invention for photographing a picture and simultaneously recording the accompanying sound. In the illustrated form of my invention, there is shown a camera I G mounted on a tripod top I? and having a feed magazine l3 which contains a suitable film arranged to pass through the camera I 0 in well known manner. The camera I ll is understood to be an ordinary studio camera with intermittent action, but any form of camera, including a continuous camera, may be used. After leaving the camera ID, the film passes through an opaque or light-tight guide tube I l to a recorder I2 which is mounted on a suitable support ill, after which the film passes to a take-up magazine 58. The recorder l2 may be a standard studio recorder of the variable density or the variable width recording type, or,

amplifiers, and monitoring equipment associated with the recorder I 2 are not shown but are understood to be substantially identical with those now used or which may prove convenient.

The guide tube 5 i may be circular, oval, or rectangular in cross-section, or it may have a crosssection which is rectangular with rounded cor- There is, however, no special restriction on the cross-sectional shape of this tube, except that it shall permit free passage of film therethrough. free-running polished rollers may in a single length but may be made up, if desired, of several sections fitted or joined together by suitable unions, flanges, slidable members, collars, or other clamping means. The interior of such joints should be smooth and without burrs or projecting sharp portions. As 5 will be gathered from the foregoing, the purpose of the tube l I is to guide the film without danger of scratching or injuring the emulsion surface.

The recorder I2 is suspended from the suitably of springs l4 and to an intermediate mount I 5. Mechanical damping of spring oscillation may be introduced, as desired, and two forms of damping means are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, that shown in Fig. 2 being of the dashpot variety and including an oil-filled cylinder 20 which is pivotally secured to the mounting plate l through a pivotal collection 2|. A piston 22 having a small aperture 23 therein has a pivotal connection 24 to the tripod head l1 and operates within the cylinder 20. The bearing surface of the piston 22 within the containing cylinder 20 is sufliciently thick to keep the assembly lined up. The oil within the cylinder 20 is of suitable viscosity and flows with viscous friction through the fine aperture 23 whenever approaching or receding motions, respectively, of the tripod head l1 and the mounting plate l5, as indicated by the arrows A in Fig. 2, take place. By selecting an oil or other suitable fluid of appropriate viscosity, by controlling the size of the aperture 23 (either by initial selection of its size or by the provision of an adjustable needle valve coacting with the aperture 23), and by selection of the area of the piston 22, it is, of course, possible to adjust the viscous friction or damping effect to any desired extent.

In Fig. 3 a more simplified damping arrangement is shown. In this modification, which is less capable of exact adjustment and which, although less exp'ensive, is not quite as reliable and uniform in operation as the previously described damping arrangement, the damping material consists of some relatively inelastic and fibrous'substance 25, such as cotton waste, steel wool, or other similar felt-like irregularly fibrous and inelastic material placed within the springs I4 to-back up the springs. Motion of the springs l4 resulting from relative movement of the tripod head 11 and the mounting plate l5, as shown by the arrows B in Fig. 3, compresses or expands this fibrous mass with resulting damping and internal friction.

It will be obvious that any alternative flexible suspension in place of the springs N may be used for the recorder l2, the idea being to have the flexible suspension with suitable damping to retain the recorder in approximately constant position. The tube or conduit II is preferably also flexible, or at least it should contain a lighttight sliding union or joint enabling any necessary amount of lengthening or shortening of the tube. II as the recorder 12 is raised or lowered relative to the camera ll). of course, it will be desirable to have a suitable free film loop in either of the camera In or the recorder l2, or both, so that any changes in the length of the film guide tube Ilmay be taken up by the film loop in question.

The negative obtained by the apparatus heretofore described is developed in a single developer, washed, fixed, again washed, dried, and otherwise processed in the usual way. It will be noted that picture and sound have been recorded and developed on a single film which, if the length of the film guide tube H is kept within reasonable bounds, will not be substantially greater than the length of the film required for the picture alone.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the feed magazine is directly attached to the camera and the take-up magazine directly to the recorder. However, the magazines may be separated from the corresponding pieces of equipment and connected thereto by lengths of rigid or flexible tubing. This might enable placing both magazines close to the recorder and accordingly using thousand-foot or even larger magazines conveniently while retaining mobility and moderate camera dimensions.

The fact that each camera in each form of the above system has an associated and nearby recorder might 'be objected to. From the viewpoint of natural recording and reproduction, such an arrangement is, however, frequently desirable. If used in connection with properly placed directional microphones for recording, each picture that appears on the threatre screen will have associated sound which has the correct auditory perspective for a listener placed at approximately the location of the corresponding camera. Alternatively, a single directional pick-up can be used and the amplifier output supplied to each of the recorders, thus avoiding a multiplicity of pick-up microphones. The choice of methods will depend upon local studio conditions and the desired effect in each case.

In an article in the August 1934 issue of the Journal'of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, Dr. Olson and Mr. Massa of the RCA Victor Company stress the importance of using directional sound pick-ups at the correct location. Speaking of one satisfactory arrangement of this sort, they say, This example illustrates how a center of gravity of the recorded sound can be established comparable with the center of gravity of the action.

They further state, as the advantage of such a system, that it gives an illusion of depth or perspective and they add that a new and powerful means of controlling sound reproduction becomes available for enhancing the illusion of reality and heightening the acoustical character of the performance.

It is desired particularly to emphasize the ready applicability of the system proposed by Dr. Olson andMr. Massa to the sound motion picture system herein disclosed. In fact, the association of individual recorders with each camera and the use of directional pick-up equipment properly placed in each instance may well constitute, as previously stated, a major forward step'in recording and reproducing technique.

Attention is again directed to the fact that the system herein disclosed is more economical of film than existing systems. It does not use any special positive film for sound recording, and uses no more film for the various angle cameras than at present. The sound track, in

a support therefor, a sound recorder, flexible means subject to oscillation supporting said recorder from said support, means associated with said last named means for damping oscillations thereof, and a flexible opaque film guiding conduit extending between said camera and said recorder;

ALFRED N. GOLDSMITH. 

